Heartbeat
by Dimitrius
Summary: Sokka had captured Toph's heart but can Toph capture his? Join Toph's journey to Sokka's heart as she and Sokka try to return to Aang and Katara after being blown to a different part of the earth by Aang. First Avatar fic.
1. Chapter 1: Swept Away

**"Heartbeat" By Dimitrius**

**Chapter One: Swept Away**

**Dedication: To Pacifickay, for being very supportive of this fic.**

**Your heartwarm love has always made me feel good. **

**Thank you for your kindness.**

o . O . o . o . O . o . o . O . o

Toph laid on the cool surface of the earth. A sudden draft of warm air flowed through the crevices of her self-made rock tent, tickling her slightly exposed neck. She put a small hand, palm face down, on the floor. Miniscule waves of vibrations reached her ears as she sensed the little creatures of the woods chirping in to the night sky. Combined with the small noises were the steady and rhythmic heartbeats of her companions located not too far away. Tranquility seemed to reign the night but a storm was brewing within the confines of the young girl's heart. Ignoring her heart, Toph listened carefully to her companion's heartbeats, distinguishing each one and matching it to each owner.

A small, light heartbeat resonated through the air. It was flighty, Toph noted, befitting for its owner. He was after all the only air bender of the group. A sudden movement from the air bender told her that he had turned in his sleep. Toph listened to the Avatar's heartbeat. Somehow, she had imagined it to be rougher and strong. At least, that was the image that was produced in her mind when she thought of the Avatar. He seemed to have that aura around him despite his childish behavior. Speaking of which, Toph thought of the name she had given the Avatar: Twinkletoes. He was just as his nickname was: always flighty; his toes never seemed to stay on the ground, always straying from the sanctuary of the earth, or at least that's what Toph believed. The earth was her element and it was the one thing she felt safe on. Of course, the Sugar Queen would disagree, water being her element.

The water bender was not too far off from the air bender, judging from the close proximity of their heartbeats. Toph let a devious smile cross her features as she thought of the two of them. The both of them have been quite intimate lately, holding hands secretly and planting chaste kisses far from prying eyes. Not that she could see, of course but the kisses had become louder and the heartbeats beat faster when the two of them were near each other. Toph sighed as she reminisced of the day before when she had caught the Sugar Queen and Twinkletoes extremely close to each other, hugging of course, but Toph felt that they could have both died from lack of oxygen the hug was creating, that's how tightly wound up they were.

But Toph could not forget the small twinge of jealousy that had tweaked within her when she caught Aang and Katara in their little moment. The two of them had each other to care and love for, but who did she have? Who would actually love someone like her, a loud, raucous, freaky, little, blind girl? No one, for sure. And that hurt, no matter how many times she denied it to herself. She truly wanted someone to care for, someone to whisper a "I love you" in her ear and plant the kisses she yearned for. And she wanted that someone to be none other than the Water Tribe Warrior.

A young, clumsy adolscent much like herself (though she didn't show it), Sokka was the object of her affections. Though he appeared brash and a jerk when they first met, little by little, as they journeyed together, she began to fall for the humorous and sarcastic teen. A smile began to creep across her face as she thought of him. His soon-to-be-manly voice rang through her ears as she remembered the moments they've had together albeit the fact that those small moments she cherished probably didn't matter much to him. The moments were nothing but mere moments of when they were just physically together. They usually involved the both of them just sitting together or walking side by side on their seemingly endless journey with the Avatar.

And then there were those moments that she absolutely loved. Those were the times when the both of them would constantly bicker and exchange sarcastic remarks with each other. Even though it wasn't what most would call romantic, the comebacks would set her heart wildly on fire and send waves of passion throughout her body as she thought of how this boy was talking to _her_ and her only. Toph would tune out the world and it would be only her and him. And that was all that mattered. If only it was something more. But sadly, Toph knew that he would never go beyond the feelings of comapnionship for her. And it was all because someone else had already captured his heart. Someone by the name of _Suki_.

Toph felt her chest tighten in jealousy and anger. She still remembered the way his voice held immense love and a gentle tone to it that she had never heard it directed to anyones else before. No one but that _Suki_. Ugh. The name itself was enough to raise the copper taste of bile to her throat. _What was so amazing about her?_, thought Toph. _Other than the fact that she is an amazing Kyoshi warrior and that maybe she's way prettier than you?_, spoke her sarcastic mind. Toph felt anger slowly rising within her. So what if she wasn't a Kyoshi warrior! She was the world's greatest earth bender, for crying out loud! That ought to account for something! But, deep down, Toph knew that no matter how great of an earth bender she was, no one would ever love her just because of the one thing she abhorred: her blindness.

It was as simple as that. Her lack of eyesight had always obstructed her path. It was always this one obstinate obstacle that Toph felt kept anyone from truly feeling any affection towards her. After all, of what use would a blind girl be, besides shoving huge chunks of rocks aside for the Avatar? Toph hated this. She hated the feeling of being useless and the despondency that followed soon after. And the more she thought of it, the more anger welled up within her.

Outside, a few miles away, medium-sized rocks began to whirl around in the air like crazy due to Toph's unconscious earth bending as her small frame began to shake in anger. Meanwhile, tears began to well up in her eyes at the injustice of life and her unrequited love. The storm in her heart that was simmering for quite some time was beginning to overwhelm her. And the result was getting quite ugly. Wracking sobs muffled by her hands echoed across her mind, leaving no other sound to dwell.

Which was, unfortunately, not a good thing at the moment.

While young Toph was consumed with her misery, tall, lurking shadows crept quietly towards the camp that the Avatar's group currently inhabited. Narrowed eyes watched calculatingly at the sleeping figures that lay on the earthen floor. One in particular stared with a hard look, her small mouth set in a smirk. She appeared to be the leader, seeing how she stood in front of all the others. Suddenly, she raised two fingers in the air and her mouth opened to utter a single word.

"Fire!" she whispered, ice lacing her word.

And without any further instruction, fiery balls emerged at the fingertips of the shadows, glowing brightly yet dangerously. And in one sweeping motion, they hurled the fire at the makeshift camp. Sudden yelps told the shadows that they had hit their mark. Hurriedly, they advanced from their positions behind the large trees and quickly entered the battlefield where a certain water bender and air bender were coaxing the river onto the flames and extinguishing it. Meanwhile, a certain Water Tribe Warrior was hopping about them and letting out a stream of curses to the air as he tried to extinguish the small fire that clung to his thick coat. At the unwelcome entrance of the shadows, which were without mistake Fire Nations soldiers, Aang jumped to a battle stance, his staff gripped tightly in his hands.

The shadows, no longer under the guidance of their leader, who had retreated after her command, began to attack mercilessly upon the makeshift camp. Aang quickly evaded each attack and using his air bending skills began to swerve each ball of fire thrown his way, making the fire return to its owners. However, these soldiers were not ones to back down. Meanwhile, Katara was extinguishing every flame with her improving water bending skills. On the other side of her was Sokka who was weilding his boomerang dramatically and hitting a few Fire Nation soldiers on the head while engaging in some one-sided witty banter all the while complaining of his lack of beauty sleep.

As the three fought to protect themselves, Toph quietly emerged from her tent. When her tears had subsided and her emotional outburst was over for the moment, she was able to think clearly and hear the earthquake-like vibrations that were resounding from the ground due to the commotion outside. Hurriedly, she moved outside and began to prepare a surprise attack to the enemy. All of a sudden, the Fire Nation soldiers heard an unusual rumbling from beneath their feet and without any warning, all were propelled high in the air with sharp, jagged rocks shoving them in the air.

"Alright, Toph! That was awesome!" came _his_ excited voice.

Toph could feel the enormous grin on his face and couldn't help but grin back herself. She felt a warmth rising through her at his compliment and her concentration on the rocks broke for a second, leaving the soldiers to collapse mightily from their high positions as the rocks gave away from their feet. Another whoop of laughter came from him, putting Toph in a giddy state.

_Come on, Toph!_, spoke the rational part of her brain. _Stop it. Stop thinking about him now. We're in the middle of a damn battle. You can ponder over his gorgous laugh later!_

Toph shook her head as she cleared her mind and began to sense the vibrations around her. The soldiers had resumed the battle with Aang and Katara since their collapse and _his_ boomerang was also swinging around. She was about to launch another attack when suddenly there was an ear-piercing scream followed by an angry human roar. Guessing from the two sounds, Toph inferred that one of the Fire Nation soldiers had hit Katara with their balls of fire and must have encased her in them, leaving her to scream in agony as the scorching flames tortured her mercilessly. The other sound must have come from an extremely angry Aang. This was followed by the small whimper of Sokka, for reasons unknown to Toph.

But, suddenly, Toph felt the ground beneath her trembling. It felt angry and was shaking uncontrollably. The air around them that was tranquil moments before was now caught in a whirlwind. There seemed to be a sharpness to the wind around her and Toph could not help but feel fear entering her body as she suddenly became part of the forceful winds. Toph heard voices shouting all around her but the winds were too strong for her to distinguish them. She tried to concentrate and find some sort of rock but her efforts were futile. Then, she began to levitate even higher in the air.

Suddenly, there was an extreme jolt, and Toph felt herself being flung by the harsh winds. Panic and fear engulfed her body as she let out a scream. The sensation of soaring 2000 miles per hour surrounded her and she felt long slender fingers encase around her small hand. Toph felt herself soar across many acres of land, still being held onto by a stranger's hand, whose grip was becoming tighter by the moment. Several moments passed before she began to feel descent. Not having any piece of earth, she could not stop or brace herself for the inevitable crash.

The last thing she noticed before slipping into unconsciousness was that the stranger still held onto her hand.

o . O . o . o . O . o . o . O . o

_**TO BE CONTINUED...**_


	2. Chapter 2: And So the Journey Begins

**"Heartbeat" By Dimitrius**

**Chapter Two: And So The Journey Begins**

**Dedication: to Taffy Cat, whose girlish youth has always made**

**me laugh. Thank you for being with me every step of the way **

**in the making of this fic and for always correcting **

**my mistakes.**

o . O . o . o . O . o . o . O . o

On a lone desert, far from the prying eyes of the human civilization, the sun shone brightly and fiercely, its heat radiating to every nook and cranny of the barren land. Not even a single zephyr floated by, making the heat even more unbearable than it normally was. However, smack in the middle of the desert lay two figures face down, their faces appearing to be buried within the sand. One was clad in a garment of a beautiful shade of green while the other was in a sleeveless blue garment with a singular ponytail sticking out from the zenith of his head. Together, the two lay peacefully, hands linked together, until one of them began to twitch slightly.

Toph, who was beginning to regain some consciousness, lay on the warm sand, her mind still hazy and unclear from her fall. Everything was quiet around her and no vibrations could be heard or felt. Toph reveled in this unusual peace and solitude as her mind began to slowly clear. And just as slowly she began to notice things. For instance, how her face was feeling extremely dry and itchy at the moment. Even her lips were parched and chapped. Running a saliva-filled tongue over her small lips, she felt some of the excess saliva dribble down her chin. She pulled her right hand to wipe it but she realized she couldn't because something was holding down onto her. Something that felt like a hand.

A hand? Immediately, Toph's eyes snapped wide open as memories of the night before filled her mind. The screams, the whirlwind, herself floating in air, and the memory of a hand holding hers instantly went through her mind like a motion picture except there were no pictures but sounds. She immediately sat up straight and pulled the stranger's hand sharply along with hers. Her heart was racing wildly and she tried in vain to find some sort of vibration, just to know where she was. She didn't feel any earthly presence and judging from the texture beneath her bare feet, she realized she was in a desert, all alone with a stranger.

Toph sat still, fear beginning to take over her body. She was in the middle of nowhere and there wasn't even a rock nearby. Suddenly, she felt very vulnerable. All she could hear was the incresaing rate of her heartbeat. But wait a minute! There was the stranger's heartbeat too. It was steady and rhythmic and soft. There was a certain familiarity to it. The heartbeat had a unique pulse to it that Toph only heard from a certain person. It, it sounded like the heartbeat of . . .

"Snoozles?" whispered Toph.

'Snoozles' just grunted slightly and turned his head in response. It was quite obvious to Toph that he was still unconscious. Yet, she couldn't help but feel a bit happy that _he_ was with her. Toph sat still for another moment, holding Sokka's hand protectively, until she decided that sitting around waiting for Ponytail to wake up was extremely boring. Trailing her unoccupied hand up Sokka's puny arm that was connected to hers via their hands, Toph searched for his face. Ignoring the blush that was furiously covering her entire face, she lighly slapped his face.

"Hey, Sokka! Wake up!" she said.

No response.

"Hellooooo!" I said, "Wake up!"

Still no response.

"Earth bending chick to Weird Meathead, do you read me?"

Zilch. Nada.

"Yo, piss-for-brains! I'm talking to you here!" yelled Toph into an unsuspecting Sokka's ear while banging her small fist on to the side of his head.

"Uuuuuuuggggggggghhhhhhhh." came the eloquent response.

Toph felt Sokka turn his head while continuing to moan incessantly. Rolling her eyes heavenward, she began to smack his head again. "Wake up, Snoozles! We haven't got all day here. In case you haven't noticed yet, we're in the middle of a frickin' desert and if you don't get your puny self up, I'm gonna punch you!"

Sokka groaned again. "I'll wake up in a minute, Katara. Just give me another minute. I promise I'll be up." he said in a sleepy voice.

Toph huffed. What the hell did it take to get Ponytail to wake up? Toph didn't even bother to think about it as she began banging her fist on his head, a little softer but still annoying enough to wake him up.

Toph felt Sokka's head snap up instantly and he cried, "Alright, alright I'm up! Sheesh!" But the minute he had awoken and noticed his surroundings, he let out a yelp. "Hey! Where the hell am I?" he asked, not caring for his unpleasant language.

"Well, _gee_, I don't know," Toph said sarcastically. "Maybe in the desert, smart guy?"

Sokka, his mind in a haze, looked at Toph as if seeing her for the first time. A moment passed by as he tried to sort through his thoughts and memories of the previous night flashed through his mind. Toph, finding the silence unbearable, spoke.

"Uh, hello? You still there, Snoozles?"

"Yeah, yeah," said Sokka distractedly. "Just thinking about what happened last night."

Another moment of silence passed by. Until . . .

"So . . .," trailed Toph.

"So, what?" questioned Sokka.

Toph smacked a hand on her forehead and let it slide down her face. "So what are we gonna do now?!" she asked the oblivious Sokka. "Cause I don't know about you, but I sure as hell wanna get outta here."

"But, we're like in the middle of nowhere!" exclaimed Sokka. "Heck, I don't even know where we are! What the hell am I gonna do, wander aimlessly until I find some sort of route or something?!"

"I don't know!" cried Toph indignantly. "_You're_ the idea guy."

"Yeah, well I can't think under all this pressure! Plus, I have a headache the size of your huge head and your pesky little voice isn't helping!"

"I DON'T HAVE A HUGE HEAD! AND MY VOICE ISN'T PESKY!"

Sokka cowered under the fuming girl who was towering dangerously over him in rage. He even put up his hands in a placating manner. "Hey, hey. I'm sorry, I'm sorry. I was just kidding."

Toph scoffed and narrowed her eyes. "You had _better_ be."

Then, with a thud, she sat down next to Sokka, her sightless eyes looking into nowhere. Sokka stared at her uncertainly, wondering if she was going to explode again. Toph, on the other hand, felt slightly guilty for yelling at him, so her expression softened. After a moment, Sokka stood up and began to stretch his limbs whilst looking at the barren land around him. He noticed his thick winter coat a few feet away, with a thin layer of dust covering it. Immediately, he retrieved his coat and trudged back to Toph, who was standing again.

"Man, Aang must've been real angry last night." spoke Sokka as he looked around him again. "We must be like a thousand miles away from the campsite."

"Nooo, reeaally?!" spoke Toph sarcastically as her voice took on the tone of dumbness. "I thought we were right next to it."

"Dude, who stuck a rock up your -?"

"DON'T even say it!"

"Alright, alright." Sokka looked around him again and he saw something he hadn't noticed before. "Hey, look! There's something over there." he said, pointing to something small in the distance.

"I would if I could _see_ it."

"Oh, heh, right. Sorry."

"Well?"

"Well, what?"

"Argh!" growled Toph. She had the sudden urge again to smack her forehead again in exasperation. "Well, what is it?!"

"Oh. I don't know. It's too far away. But why don't we start moving and see what it is? It could be a campsite or something."

"In the middle of the desert?" questioned Toph with an eyebrow raised.

"Who knows, it could be. So are we gonna go or not?"

"Yeah, whatever," came Toph's nonchalant response. "Let's just get outta here."

Sokka, upon receiving her agreement, began to walk ahead, holding his coat in his arms. He only stopped when he heard Toph shout from behind.

"Hey, knucklehead! What about me?! Have you forgotten that I can't see and walk my way through this desert?!"

Sokka winced. He had forgotten that but he wasn't going to let her know that. Sullenly he walked back and roughly grabbed her small, warm hand into his. He didn't even notice the small blush that was creeping onto Toph's pale face as he began to lead her through the sand, intiating the long journey that was to come.

o . O . o . o . O . o . o . O . o

_**TO BE CONTINUED...**_


	3. Chapter 3: Desert Madness

**"Heartbeat" By Dimitrius**

**Chapter Three: Desert Madness**

**Dedication: to Firegurl92 for being very supportive**

**and patient of this fic. Your calm demeanor has always **

**amazed me whenever I have read your reviews.**

**Thank you.**

o . O . o . o . O . o . o . O . o

Two hours later found an extremely tired Toph and Sokka trudging hand in hand in the sandy desert, with their tongues hanging loosely out of their mouths. The sun shone brightly, causing them to sweat buckets of perspiration. Nevertheless, they slowly advanced in silence save for the occasional grunt and incessant whining from the Water Tribe Warior, who, after a few feet, suddenly fell to the ground and lay in a heap.

"I can't take this anymore!" whined Sokka for the umpteenth time.

Toph, who was standing, also fell to the ground with a thud and concurred. "I've never been so tired in my life," she said in a slightly hoarse voice as she cracked her back and several other sore limbs.

Sokka grunted and ran his tongue over his dry lips. "Man, where is Katara when you need her?! I need water soooo bad!"

"Me too." groaned Toph.

She suddenly fell back and lay on her back with her eyes closed. The heat was becoming very unbearable and was making her clothes sticky from sweat. Together, both Sokka and Toph lay on the sand with their eyes closed as they decided in an unspoken agreement to take a break from their long trek.

Silence reigned between them save for the cawing of the vultures overhead who were circling the air in the distance. Had the two of them were not starving from lack of food and water, this moment would have seemed quite peaceful and a perfect time for reflection. However, sadly, storms were brewing within the teens' stomachs, resulting in deep growlings.

Toph just lay on the ground, listening to her stomach growl every ten minutes, each one louder than the previous one. Sokka's stomach was no different and Toph was glad that he didn't make fun of her stomach noises. Suddenly, she felt the smallest vibration beneath her. Turning her head to where Sokka was, she heard a few small noises emitting from him.

A confused expression visible on her face, Toph inquired her companion. "Whatcha doing?"

Sokka muttered something indecipherable. "What?"

"I said, 'I just found something in the pockets of my winter coat'," said Sokka.

"Well, what did you find?"

"A flask of some sort." replied Sokka, as he held a dark flask up. Carefully, he removed the cork from it and peered at the contents. A sudden grin formed on his face and he let out a whoop of laughter. "Alright!"

Toph, who was utterly confused at Sokka's sudden jubilation, asked, "What's going on?"

"I just hit jackpot!" exclaimed Sokka. "There's water in this flask!"

"Water?" repeated Toph, happiness gleaming in her eyes. "Well, what are you waiting for?! Give me some already! I'm dying here!" Toph held out her small hands.

"Hold on a sec! I'm drinking first."

Toph impatiently sat still as Sokka held the flask above his mouth. He let the cool water flow down from his mouth to his trachea. The water felt so good against his dry mouth that Sokka almost cried tears of happiness at his good fortune, however small it may have been. A moment passed by and he was still drinking, his mind numb from the ecstatic sensation of drinking water. Toph, who was on the edge of her feet, suddenly snapped.

"Hey, Ponytail! Aren't you done yet?!" Her reply was a soft moan which only served to infuriate and irritate her even further. "Sokka! Give me water NOW!"

Her sudden demand pulled Sokka out of his stupor. "Huh?" Pulling the flask from his mouth, his eyes widened as he realized that he had momentarily forgotten the presence of his companion and that he drank all the water leaving none for Toph. A guilty grin formed on his face as his eyes lowered to the ground.

Toph, not understanding why he was silent all of a sudden, spoke. "Are you deaf?! I said to give me the water now! I'm thirsty!"

"Uhh, about that," said Sokka slowly as he slightly backed away from the girl in front of him. "I, er, accidentallydrankthewholething."

The last part had been said very quickly and it took a while for Toph to decipher what he had said. The minute she did, she exploded. "YOU WHAT?!"

Sokka immediately backed away from the now extremely furious Toph who was standing with eyes narrowed menacingly. He began to laugh nervously, while cold sweat began to break out. Holding out his hands in front of him in a placating manner, he attempted to coax Toph to calm down.

"It-It was an a-accident," stuttered Sokka. "I-I swear!"

"HOW COULD YOU DRINK ALL OF IT, YOU STUPID, IGNORAMUS OAF?!"

"I said it was an accident!" whined Sokka.

"ACCIDENT, MY ASS! I CAN'T BELIEVE THAT YOU DID THAT!!!"

Sokka, who was getting tired of being yelled at by a girl about a foot shorter than him, cried, "Look! I said I'm sorry! Can we _please_ drop it now? Yelling at me isn't going to solve anything."

However, Toph was not one to back down. The exhaustion and lack of food and water was taking a toll on her, leaving her to be deprived of any rationality and common sense. And the only thing left within her was blind rage (no pun intended). Eyes narrowed to mere slits, Toph glared murderously at what she thought was Sokka (which it actually was). Although her voice lowered mildly, it still held the same amount of venom in it if not more.

"What, on this frickin' planet, would make you do that?! I can't believe you're so selfish! I had thought that maybe you were someone good to be around with and that this trip would be bearable with you. But you are the most useless, bumbling idiot I have _ever_ seen in my life!"

Sokka's face immediately darkened. Toph could tell she had struck a nerve but she didn't bother to take back what she said.

"I am NOT a useless, bumbling idiot!" yelled Sokka. "If anyone, it's you who is the useless idiot! You're no help at all! I'm the one who has to help you get through this desert! If it hadn't been for you holding me back, I would've made it out of this desert an hour ago!"

"WHAT?!" screeched Toph, her face growing bright red in fury. "Are you saying that I'm a _burden_?!"

"Did I stutter?" mocked Sokka.

"Oh, you _will_ stutter when I'm done with you!" threatened Toph dangerously.

"Oh, yeah? Well, bring it on sister! You can't do anything to me! 'Cause you're nothing but a weakling!"

"Come and say that to my face, you coward! If I had rocks nearby, you'd be crushed a hundred feet beneath them!"

"Oooh! I'm so scared!" taunted Sokka. "I'm just absolutely quaking in my boots! Besides, you don't have any rocks! So what are you gonna do now? Scream like a little girly girl?! Or are you gonna run home to your momma?!"

"THAT'S IT!!" screamed Toph as she immediately stood up. "I've had it with your stupidity and your ugly, screechy voice! I don't need you to help me! I can get out of this desert myself!"

"Fine! Then go do it!"

"Fine! I will!"

"FINE!"

"FINE!"

And with a huff, Toph immediately turned to her right and marched away. Sokka, in turn, folded his arms indignantly, and marched ahead, towards the same route he was on previously. Neither of them looked back at each other and both forgot their exhaustion and hunger as anger coursed through the two teens.

o . O . o . o . O . o . o . O . o

Toph marched noisely across the sandy desert. It had been an hour since she had left Sokka and she was still walking aimlessly whilst ranting and fuming incessantly.

"I can't believe that stupid oaf had the _nerve_ to drink all of the water!" muttered Toph heatedly under her breath for the umpteenth time.

But after this last declaration, Toph suddenly stopped dead in her tracks and let out a weary sigh. She fell to her knees and rubbing the soles of her sore feet, she momentarily closed her sightless eyes. She was severely exhausted and continuing her aimless wandering in the middle of the desert with not even a piece of rock wasn't going to do her any good.

Toph just sat there on the ground, trying to control all her jumbled emotions that were overwhelming her. The most prominent one was hurt. Of all things, Toph was hurt. Hurt that the boy she secretly cared for deeply didn't care for her. He didn't even bother to share water with her! Had it been her, she would have given him water even if she did put up a display of taunting him with it. She had been so thirsty, but he didn't care at all!

Toph let out a disgusted sigh. What had she been thinking anyways? That he was going to suddenly fall head over heals for her just because the two of them were placed in the same predicament together? She was a fool. But, sadly, a fool in love.

Toph shook her head in an effort to shake off the troubling thoughts that plagued her mind. Shifting around until she was laying on the floor, Toph lay still as she felt a small cool breeze carressed her perspiration-filled face. Toph could not help but revel in this small zephyr. Little did she realize that this small breeze was going to be turned into an icy cold air.

After all, deserts were known for their fluctuating temperatures.

But for the moment, Toph just lay there and let sleep wash over her and keep her oblivious to approaching danger.

o . O . o . o . O . o . o . O . o

_**TO BE CONTINUED...**_


	4. Chapter 4: Damsel in Distress

**"Heartbeat" By Dimitrius**

**Chapter Four: Damsel in Distress**

**Dedication: to AND U KNOW THIS for being a great**

**virtual friend. We have only known each other since a few mere private messages**

**yet it feels like we are more. Thank you for providing support for my fic**

**and I hope that you do very well in your experience as a writer.**

o . O . o . o . O . o . o . O . o

A few hours later, the sun had completely vanished, leaving the barren desert to be enveloped in darkness and the temperature to mightily drop several degrees. Somewhere, several yards away from where Toph lay, two figures are seen riding upon an emu-related animal with reins in their hands. They were dressed in red garments with bamboo hats resting atop their scalps. Silently they wandered in the desert until one of them decided to strike up a conversation.

"When are we leaving?" he asked in a rough, masculine voice.

"Tomorrow around noon, I guess." replied his male companion in a smoother voice.

"Thank heavens. I was getting pretty tired of hanging 'round dirt anyways."

"Yeah, me too."

Having nothing more to say, the two men lapsed into silence once more and just continued wandering. After having covered a few more yards, one of them suddenly spoke again.

"Hey, what's that?" inquired the one with the rough voice.

"What's what?" asked his companion.

"That thing on the ground."

"I don't know. Let's go check it out."

Together, the two companions moved closer to the 'thing' on the ground. The man with the smoother voice was quick to discover what it was.

"Hmm. It's a girl."

"A girl?"

"Yeah."

"What's a girl doing in the middle of the desert?"

"Beats me. She's unconscious though."

"You think we should take her to the Captain?"

"Yeah. Besides, she looks kinda familiar."

"Hmm. Yeah, you're right. She does look familiar. I can't remember where I've seen her before though."

"Well, standing around here trying to figure out who she is isn't gonna help. Let's get her on this thing and take her to the Captain."

"Alright."

Silently, the two men heaved the small girl onto the back of one of their transportation birds and with a small 'giddyup", they swiftly rode to their destination, leaving only a cloud of dust behind.

o . O . o . o . O . o . o . O . o

_"Help!" cried Toph. "I can't swim!"_

_Toph thrashed around wildly in the vast ocean, trying to keep herself above the surface of the water._

_"I'm coming, Toph!" shouted Sokka's voice._

_Toph continued to splash wildly in the water, hoping Sokka would come quicker. Suddenly, she felt two strong arms wrap around her waist. Immediately, Toph stopped thrashing and felt relief flooding within her. Yet, she could not help but also blush._

_"It's alright." whispered Sokka in her ear which only served to make her blush even more furiously._

_"Thanks." she whispered back._

_"No problem." spoke a whole new voice. "Just helping a friend."_

_Toph gasped. That voice. It was familiar. It sounded like . . .._

_"Suki?" _

_"Yes me." replied Suki malevolantly, making Toph wince._

_Suddenly, Toph felt Sokka's arms slip away from her waist as she somehow sensed Suki pulling him away from her. They were moving as far away as possible from her._

_Toph, hearing neither Sokka's nor Suki's presence, cried out. "Sokka!"_

_There was no response, save for the the crashing noises of the roaring water that surrounded her. Overwhelming fear took over Toph's being as she tried in vain to keep herself above the water's surface. Panic began to override her too as she called out her beloved's name._

_"Sokka! Please, help me!"_

_Silence. And the last thing that happened was that Toph was suddenly swept away by the strong ocean currents with her frantic voice echoing in the depths of the ocean._

_"SOKKA!"_

Toph immediately awoke with a jolt and her sightless eyes snapped open from her horrorific nightmare. They were slightly glazed, therefore Toph rubbed them in an effort to shake off the sleep that clung to them. Cold beads of sweat hung from her pale forehead as well as her palms. Toph shivered slightly partly from the cold night air that nipped at her and from the almost-realistic nightmare which appeared as a reflection of what had occurred that afternoon.

Toph closed her eyes momentarily as she replayed her dream in her mind. As she lay alone, she could not deny it to herself that she had been scared. She was scared of abandonment. Especially when it was Sokka who was abandoning her in her darkest hour. Toph shook her head clear of these troubling thoughts and tried to concentrate as to her own whereabouts. She put her hand, palm face down, on the ground and ran it across a piece of fabric.

Wait a minute! Fabric? Toph immediately sat upright. The minute she did so, however, a voice spoke up.

"Well, well, well." said a sinister, masculine voice. "Looks like you've finally woken up."

The man who had spoken had been sitting on a log behind a campfire and in front of several tents made of fabric. He was dressed in Fire Nation garments with a traditional Fire Nation wolftail sprouting from the zenith of his scalp. Surrounding him were Fire Nation soldiers.

He was the Captain.

"Who are you?!" demanded Toph immediately whilst standing up in a defensive stance. "And why am I here?"

Her demands were met with a chuckle. This only served to make her even more suspicious and furious that she was unsuspectingly picked up and captured by god knows who.

"Calm down, little one." said the Captain. "We're not here to fight."

Toph sneered. "Oh, reeaally? Well, care to explain the reason for me being here?"

The Captain just watched her in amusement. A sardonic grin graced his lips as he picked up a cup filled with wine and sipped it.

"Hellooo?" said Toph mockingly. "Have you died on me? Or are you just plain deaf?"

"Well, isn't that just wishful thinking, huh?" said the Captain. "But don't worry. I am not deaf. Nor blind." he added as he looked into her milky orbs.

Silence filled the campsite as Toph stood there defeated. She had hoped that he wouldn't notice her blindness and that maybe she could have bluffed her way out of this mess. Unfortunately, for her, people always seem to notice her weakness immediately. And she hated that. But this was not the time to dwell on that.

"What's the matter?" taunted the Captain in his eeringly calm voice. "Has the cat caught the tongue of the infamous Blind Bandit?"

"Shut up!" glared Toph.

"Oh, don't worry. I will shut up. After all, it must be boring to hear an old man like me talk on and on for hours, right?" The Captain didn't await an answer as he continued. "But fear not. I will set you free. Under one condition, though. I don't know how you came to be in the middle of the desert alone but I do know that you are one of the Avatar's companions. If you give me the Avatar's whereabouts, I will let you go without even touching a hair on your head."

"And what if I don't tell you?" demanded Toph. "Then what?"

"Well, we don't want that to happen, do we?" said the Captain as he carelessly examined his fingernails in a cool collected manner. "It's best that you meet our demands or you will indeed find yourself in a position you would most definitely not like to be in. Besides, I've heard that a certain Bei Fong is willing to reward anyone with an inordinate amount of gold who can locate and surrender his daughter to him." At this point, he looked up at Toph from his fingernails and let a sly grin form on his face.

"Look, punk," glared Toph "I don't know who you think you are but if you think that you're gonna threaten and boss me around, then you have another thought coming. I will kick your ass all to the way to the North Pole if you tell me what to do! So you better listen to me and let me go!"

"Tut, tut," tsked the Captain. "Such vile words coming from the mouth of a child. Haven't your parents taught you any manners?" - here Toph just rolled her eyes - "I see. Well, don't worry. I will give you a lesson. Rule number one of royalty: never threaten your elders."

"Pfft, as if I care."

"Ah, rebellion." said the Captain. "It is always found within the youth. Unfortunately for you, I have a way of handling rebellion."

A sinister look crossed his face as the Captian, without warning, rose from his makeshift seat. In one sweeping motion, he moved ahead and grabbed and raised Toph by her collar.

"Hey! Let go of me, you freak!" yelled Toph as she kicked her dangling legs wildly in the Captain's direction.

The Captain kicked her hard in the shins in response, making Toph wince in agonizing pain. Pulling her real close until both Toph and him were just mere inches apart, he gazed menacingly at her.

"It seems that you won't comply to my orders," said the Captain in a low, dangerous voice. "But don't worry. I do have my ways of making little children speak. Looks like a bit of force will make you willingly open your mouth."

The Captain immediately brought up his unoccupied hand towards Toph's red cheek. The surrounding Fire Nation soldiers watched passively as a bright ball of flames emerged from the tips of his fingers and danced dangerously close to Toph's cheeks causing her unbearable pain. Combined with this heinous act was the Captain strangling her with his hold on her collar.

"Now will you tell me of the Avatar's whereabouts, child?" whispered the Captain as he grinned maliciously at Toph's obvious discomfort.

"I-I don't know w-where he i-is," coughed Toph from the smoke that was filling in her throat as the fumes from the Captain's ball of fire surrounded her face.

"Liar!" hissed the Captain.

The ball of fire immediately grew bigger and his hold on her collar grew tighter, causing Toph to choke. Her eyes began to water from the unbearable heat and she was beginning to feel a bit faint. Toph tried to twist her head as far away as possible from the fire but her efforts were futile. She felt weakness consume her being as the hand around her throat was getting tighter by the minute. Her mind seemed to be jumping from unconsciousness to consciousness and she felt herself slowly spiraling and succumbing to her weakened state. Toph felt the darkness of unconsciousness come closer . . . and closer . . . and closer . . . and closer . . .

. . . when suddenly Toph was splashed with something icy cold on her face, immediately shocking her to consciousness.

Toph sputtered and coughed. The Captain, surprised at this sudden turn of event, turned around to see who had done the deed. His eyes widened in familiarity at the person standing before him who, without warning, suddenly pulled out a weapon and chucked it towards the Captain's head. The Captain ducked immediately and in the process, dumped Toph unceremoniously to the ground. As the Captain stood up straight again, he snarled and lunged at the unexpected intruder whilst giving out commands to his soldiers to attack the person.

Meanwhile, Toph sat on the sandy ground, trying to clear her hazy mind. Absently, she rubbed her temples in an effort to alleviate the head-splitting headache that raged wildly within her cranium. A liquid, which felt a lot like water, rolled like beads down her face and seeped down her neck and into her garments. But Toph wasn't worried about that right now. She was currently trying to think of what just happened that was causing her so much confusion. Who had thrown water at her?

Toph did not have time to dwell on the answer as she heard several noises filtering the air around her. One dominant sound was a growling noise coming a few feet away. Toph immediately recognized it as the Captain's. Surrounding him were the swift _swooshes_ of spear-like weapons being raised into the night air.

And then there was a strange noise that sounded like a hatchet cutting through the air and landing on wooden sticks as it sliced them apart. It sounded vaguely familiar. But Toph's unclear mind could not decipher this familiarity and she didn't even bother to dwell too much on it because Toph detected something. It was low and ominous and oddly familiar too. Beneath her, vibrations that were so miniscule that Toph could not even feel them, were now a bit stronger, causing Toph to notice them. These vibrations had a familiar sense to them. They sounded almost like an earthquake that was lowered in volume to the extreme.

Toph stood up and her eyes widened immediately. She was suddenly struck of a memory of not too long ago. The very miniscule vibrations that she was feeling now were the same vibrations she had felt when she was saving a library from sinking to the ground. It was the vibrations of the sand shifting beneath her. But what was the sand sucking up this time?

Toph didn't wait to find out. Not wanting to be a part of the sand, she unsteadily took a step forward. As she did so, however, something crashed into her, causing her to fall to the ground with the body strewn over her light frame.

"Oof!" exclaimed Toph. "Get off me!" she said to the body.

The body was silent. Frustrated at the lack of response, Toph heaved the body off of her with her small hands, panting slightly as she did so. She even kicked it, though out of frustration. When she finally was free of the unknown person, probably an unconscious Fire Nation soldier, Toph stood up again and began to take small steps.

As Toph blindly groped her way through the tangle of battling soldiers, she felt the vibrations beneath her getting steadily stronger. Panic began to override her as she realized that she had no way of escaping her sandy doom. Yet, Toph was not going to cave in without a fight. She resolutely stood her ground and tried to make her way out of this mess. The vibrations now were so strong that she could actually feel them as if a normal person was feeling someone poking at them gently. But something was not right. If the vibrations were getting stonger, then why was she not sinking a bit? Why were her feet still on the sand rather than beneath them? Toph immediately received her answer as she heard a voice cry out through all the rubble.

"Everybody STOP!" yelled a panicked voice. "There's a sandstorm heading this way!"

Time seemed to have stopped momentarily as complete silence reigned in the campsite. Everyone just stood there, paralyzed as if they hadn't heard correctly. But this silence was quickly shattered when the cold air around them suddenly began to increase in speed. Toph felt the sand rising from the ground and whirl around her, hitting her sharply in the face as it was caught in the whirlwind.

The Captain, who knew how terrible sandstorms could get and not wanting to be caught in the middle of it, immediately bellowed, "Get your birds! We have to retreat."

At the Captain's impromptu command, Toph heard a scuffle as the Fire Nation soldiers raced around each other to pack their possessions and retrieve their means of transportation. She heard several 'gidyups' and screechy sounds from what she assumed were from the animals that the soldiers were using for transportation. As she heard this medley of sounds, Toph was hit with the realization that she was going to be left all alone, caught in the storm, without even a rock to fend for herself. Fear settled in the pit of her stomach as she suddenly felt herself being levitated in the forceful winds. Her bangs flew wildly around her face and her dress flapped against her legs threateningly. Toph tried in vain to bring herself back on the ground. Her arms flailed wildly in an attempt to have some control over something. But all was futile. And this realization hit her with the force of a ton of bricks.

Toph stopped flailing her arms and closed her eyes in defeat as despair and hopelessness settled in her mind. This was it. Here she was, weakened by severe exhaustion, dehydration, and emotional pain. She was going to die out here without ever saying good-bye to anyone. This was not how she had envisioned her death. She had always thought that she would die an honorable death. A death in which she was the victor. A death in which she was the strongest person ever. And a death in which Sokka would have known her feelings of him.

Sokka. The very name brought tears to her sightless eyes. How could he have just up and left her in this barren land all alone? Didn't he realize that she would be lost forever in this desert, without even a morsel of food? Why hadn't he stopped her from rushing away in anger? Couldn't he have just followed her quietly until she had cooled off so that they could have continued their journey together and she wouldn't have been left in this mess?

The injustice of it all hurt Toph so much. And for the moment, a rush of hate entered her heart. Hate that the boy she loved so dearly was off someplace, probably even out of the desert, and thinking of a certain someone while she was here, willing herself to remain strong. What good it was to love someone if you can't be loved back? Toph hated this. She hated how love made her weak. Everytime Sokka did something stupid or the others acted harshly towards her, she would go away. But the thought of him always brought her back with a lame excuse. She was just stupid! Stupid to even love a boy who would never think twice about her.

A thin trail of tears crept down her slightly burned cheeks from the rims of her concealed eyes. Toph just stood there, levitating in the air, with her arms drooping at her sides. Hope faded from her heart, Toph awaited for the inevitable death. The air around her was even stronger than ever and the sand targeted her exposed skin like thrown pebbles.

Toph rose another few inches and was about to be slammed into the ground mercilessly by the extremely harsh winds, when all of a sudden a pair of strong arms wrapped around her waist.

Toph's eyes snapped wide open in shock, displaying her glassy pupils. Her body, which had tensed at the sudden contact with this stranger, was suddenly being pulled downwards by the stranger. Then, Toph's head hit a thin piece of fabric surrounded on each side by a soft fur-like material. The pair of arms were still wrapped around her waist in a firm manner, holding her tightly. Toph moved her head to the side slightly which resulted in her ear to accidentally brush against the chest of the silent stranger.

Toph suddenly let out a barely audible gasp. When her ear had rested on the stranger's chest, Toph had heard the stranger's heartbeat. It was beating calmly as if there were no worries in the world. The stranger's heartbeat was soft and unique. Combined with this very familiar heartbeat was the scent of the stranger. It was fresh yet at the same time filled with perspiration. There was also a mix of boyishness to the musky and icy scent. This scent could only belong to one person. And that person could be none other than . . .

"Sokka?" whispered Toph.

Sokka merely grunted in response as he held her tightly onto him. Toph could not describe how she felt in that singular moment of realization. Here she was, at the brink of despair and death, when all of a sudden, her beloved appeared out of nowhere and pulled her close to him in an act of rescue. A singular trail of tear slipped from her eyes as happiness swelled in her heart. In an act of sheer happiness and not caring of what her beloved would think of it, Toph raised her arms upward and wrapped them around his neck.

Sokka, however, removed her arms off of him and pulled her body away from his. Toph, shocked for the umpteenth time of that day, stood there confused. Before she could open her mouth to ask what was going on, she felt Sokka put his arm underneath her leg and in an instant, he scooped her up bridal-style. He even pulled her arms around his neck again resulting in her face nuzzling the crook of his neck as he held her close once more.

"It's alright, Toph." he whispered, sending shivers down her back. "I'm sorry about before. But I'm here now."

And without another word, Sokka began to walk against the forceful winds with Toph tucked securely in his arms.

o . O . o . o . O . o . o . O . o

A few hours later, a young boy is seen trudging through the sandy desert with the moonlight shining down upon him. In his arms is a small girl, snug and fast asleep. Suddenly, the boy stops in his tracks. A look of weariness is clearly visible on his face as he gently puts the girl in his arms down on the sandy ground. He sits up for a moment and removes the thick winter coat he has on him. Taking the big coat, he lays down on the ground next to the girl and pulls it over the two of them. Closing his eyes for the night, he whispers a singular thought to his companion before he drifts off into a dreamless sleep.

"Goodnight Toph."

o . O . o . o . O . o . o . O . o

_**TO BE CONTINUED...**_


	5. Chapter 5: Companions and Hitchhikers

**"Heartbeat" by Dimitrius**

**Chapter Five: Companions and Hitchhikers**

**Dedication: to tokkalover whose bubbly enthusiasim**

**has always made me chuckle. Thank you for always giving **

**your input and voicing your opinions.**

o . O . o . o . O . o . o . O . o

The next morning, Sokka awoke to a blazing and extremely bright sun. The bitter cold winds that stormed the night before had vanquished without a trace as if the temperature had never dropped to about ten degrees. In its place, a heat wave returned, this one even more unbearable than the previous one. As Sokka vaguely pondered over these minute details, he lay on the sweltering hot ground with his eyes closed. The thick winter coat that was draped over him and his companion was rapidly becoming a burden in this stifling heat. But Sokka didn't bother to pull it off him, no matter how much perspiration was gathering on his skin. The reason was none other than sheer laziness, an attribute that, as Katara would point, would be the death of him. But for now, Sokka was just content to lay on the ground and become fried chicken.

As he just lay there, Sokka's idle gaze wandered to his right where his companion lay deep in slumber. Her face held a content expression, something Sokka had never seen on her features before. Small pink lips were curled at the corners in a barely visible smile and long, dark, and thick lashes adorned her eyes. Covering her face were thin veils of dirt from the ground, resulting in creating a slightly tan look, a color quite different from the usual hue of her face. Framing her face were ebony tresses slightly discolored from dirt and sand. As Sokka gazed at her, he noticed the split-ends that were beginning to form at the ends of her dirty hair and lengthy bangs. For a moment, Sokka was struck by how peaceful she looked. He had never seen her so quiet and tranquil. She was always loud and kind of rough around the edges like the rocks she earthbended with.

The day before was the perfect example of Toph's usual nature. Being the loud, brash, and childish girl he knew, she had stomped away to nowhere when he had accidentally drank all of the water he coincidentally had with him. Now, how was he to know that water would taste so good? He was thirsty, for pete's sake! But deep down, Sokka knew he was stupid in what he had done and that lashing back at the younger girl when it had been his mistake was really dumb and selfish of him. She was human after all and she had every right to scold him for being such a dimwit. But pride would never let Sokka admit this. Especially to a girl who was about two years younger than him.

Sokka quickly dispelled those thoughts and gazed at the girl before him again. This time, upon a closer look, he noticed a bright red mark that covered her left cheek. Sokka's face darkened slightly as he remembered how that had gotten there. A memory of a slightly chubby Fire Nation captain strangling and burning a helpless Toph flashed through his mind. Sokka remembered how he had been wandering when he accidentally stumbled upon the scene. Anger had coursed through him at the sight of cruelty and injustice, causing him to grab a nearby pitcher of ice cold water under the noses of the occupied Fire Nation soldiers. He had aimed it perfectly at Toph, thus dispelling the fire that was burning her face and simultaneously averting the Captain's attention towards himself. The next thing he knew, Sokka was suddenly surrounded by a mob of highly trained Fire Nation soldiers.

Sokka remembered how he had gulped and sweat-dropped instantly. A few feet away, he had seen Toph lying on the ground, rubbing her neck tenderly. But that view had been closed off by the prominent figure of the Captain. After that, everything became a blur. Fire Nation soldiers were seen hurling spear-like weapons towards him and he in turn acted upon impulse. Raising his boomerang and machete, Sokka had stood in a defensive stance and began to fend for himself. And he was pretty proud of himself. For a guy who couldn't bend anything, he was able to knock a bunch of Fire Nation skulls. However, that wasn't enough to overtake the whole army which consisted of about twenty-five men. Luckily, fate was on his side. An unexpected sandstorm had rolled in, driving the soldiers away. But Sokka remained there for a few moments after seconds of quick thinking to collect necessary supplies from the Fire Nation tents and tried to find Toph in the storm. Stuffing food and miscellaneous items in the wide pockets of his coat, he had barged out of the tents and tried to find Toph in the storm. He had spotted her hovering a few inches in the air, looking surprisingly desolate. Without another thought, he had moved ahead and grabbed her, pulling her into his arms. Sokka remembered the thought that had crossed his mind when he had done that. She had felt surprisingly warm and the way she clung onto his neck, it had seemed so perfect, as if those arms were meant to have been clasped around his neck.

And Sokka could not also shake off the memory of her peering at him with those opaque eyes of hers when he had grabbed her. They had looked so surprised as if not believing that he was there and yet so happy at the same time. There was such an intensity to them that almost drew Sokka into her, mesmerizing him completely. And for a moment, Sokka had seen a certain emotion that he could not discern. He had shook it off at the time for he had more pressing matters to attend to. But now that Sokka thought about it, he could still not see what it was. Maybe it had been a trick of his imagination, but Sokka had a gut feeling that maybe it wasn't.

Sokka closed his eyes momentarily. Last night had been really tiresome to say the least. Carrying a sleeping girl in his arms for about two hours had drained most of the energy out of him. But at least she was safe with him. He didn't think his conscience would let him live if he hadn't searched for her and brought her back to safety. Sokka knew he could be dumb at times but he truly had a good heart. He may whine for hours for having to do something he didn't want to do but he would do it no matter what because he knew it was the right thing to do. Sometimes, Sokka wished he didn't have a conscience. But he already had a small selfish streak so it was better that he did.

Sokka opened his eyes once more. This time, two large sightless eyes stared back at him, making him jerk his head back in surprise. The owner of the eyes appeared slightly confused but that was to be expected. Sokka knew that Toph was slightly disoriented from sleep so he gave her a moment to fully wake up. He watched as the girl besides him yawned. Her small nose wrinkled slightly in a way that Sokka vaguely thought was cute. Then two small hands made their way up towards her eyes and rubbed them gently. Sokka noted one finger trying to pull off a thick eye crust but failing. Unconsciously, Sokka brought a finger of his own and scraped the crust off. As soon he did though, he immediately pulled back, partly surprised by his own actions and partly surprised by how soft his companion's skin had felt. At Sokka's sudden touch, Toph had also jerked her body in an upright position, pulling Sokka's coat off in the process, and her eyes narrowed in suspicion.

"Who are you?" demanded Toph in a hoarse voice as she raised two fists in the air.

Sokka also sat up in an upright position and put his hands gently over her fists in a placating manner. "Hey, calm down there! Relax, Toph. It's just me, Sokka."

Toph slowly lowered her hands and whispered, "Sokka? Is that really you?"

"No, it's the bogeyman," said Sokka sarcastically while sporting a silly grin on his face.

Toph groaned and rolled her eyes as she fell back on the sandy ground with a soft thud. Apparently, Sokka was in a cheerful mood, something that wasn't currently matching her mood. She felt as if she had gone through the seven stages of hell and back again. Sokka watched as she rubbed the temples of her forehead.

"Got a headache?" he asked sympathetically.

"Yeah," replied Toph while she stared up into the sky.

Together, both sat in uncomfortable silence, each one lost in their own thoughts. Sokka, however, was feeling kind of awkward. He didn't know what to say to the younger girl besides him. He knew he should apologize for his actions the day before but for some reason he could not form the words. And Sokka knew it was his manly pride preventing him.

A moment of silence later, Toph's stomach growled extremely loud, thus causing the silence to be broken and eliciting a small laugh from Sokka. Grateful that the awkward moment was over between them, Sokka rose from the ground and stretched his stiff limbs. As he did, he was struck with an idea. Glancing back at Toph in an apologetic grin, he decided that he could apologize to her in a way without damaging his 'manly' pride.

Sokka stooped down and began to rummage through the wide pockets of his thick winter coat from which he pulled a flask, this one different than the previous one he had. Pulling the cork and feeling a sense of deja vu, Sokka moved towards Toph until he was kneeling in front of her.

Awkwardly, he extended his arm towards her and in an uncharacteristic gentle voice, said, "Um, I, uh, brought you some water."

Sokka watched as Toph's eyes widened in slight surprise and move in an attempt to locate his face. "You brought me water?" she asked.

Sokka grinned sheepishly and with one free hand rubbed the back of his neck unconsciously. "Heh, yeah. Thought you'd want it y'know." And without any further words for fear of saying anything stupid, he grabbed Toph's hands and guided them towards the flask until the flask was cupped in her hands. And in the same gentle voice, he said, "There, now you can drink."

Toph, in response, slowly brought the opening of the flask towards her mouth and before anyone could say, "Earthbending," she drank every single drop of water in one large gulp. Sokka just rose a single eyebrow at the display, but shook it off and began to go through the pockets of his coat again. Pulling out a bunch of bundled up cloth, he proceeded to unwrap them. Small rolls of bread and biscuits fell out of the colorful cloths. Placing the cloths on the sandy ground and smoothing them out, he placed the baked items on the cloths. He then took a roll of bread and placed it within the palms of Toph's small hands after taking the flask away from her.

"I bet you're hungry," said Sokka. "I just put bread in your hands."

Sokka looked at Toph and instead of her taking and eating it like he had expected, he only saw her sitting there with a peculiar expression on her face.

"What's the matter?" asked Sokka. "Aren't you hungry?"

Toph 'stared' at him for a moment before she spoke. "Where'd you get this stuff from?" she asked, suspicion clearly evident in her voice.

Sokka nearly burst out in a fit of laughter. For a moment there, he thought she wasn't eating because of something serious. An amused grin forming on his face, he said, "Remember last night when you were hovering in the air?" Toph nodded. "Yeah, well, I kinda stole stuff from the Fire Nation tents then. I thought that maybe we'd probably be needing food for the next couple of days, y'know, and not end up starving to death if we're gonna be stranded here."

At his last statement, Toph cracked a small smile and with a small bit of sarcasm lacing her voice, said, "Glad to know that your brain actually functions during moments of crises."

To this, Sokka puffed his chest in pride and said, "Yeah, well, what can I say? I'm a man of great brains. Without me, the world just can't revolve."

"Riiiiiight", said Toph sarcastically. "Don't get your head all inflated just because you happened to actually do one heroic deed. It'll probably be your only one that you'll ever do."

"Oh, come on," said Sokka while rolling his eyes. "Don't deny the fact that you were glad that good ol' Sokka came and rescued you."

"Pfft." said Toph. "As if. I could have saved myself if you hadn't come."

"Uh huh," said Sokka dubiously. "And I'll grow horns in the next twenty minutes. Come on, admit it already. Admit that you were glad that I rescued you and that you had needed me."

"No way!" cried Toph indignantly.

"Yes way!" insisted Sokka. "Say it already!"

Toph stuck out her tongue at Sokka. "Only in your dreams!"

Sokka sat back down with a huff and crossed his arms around his chest. "Fine, be like that!"

"Fine, I will." said Toph as she smirked in response. It was evident that she was enjoying the witty banter between her and her companion.

"Y'know," said Sokka as he sighed. "I'm just a simple guy asking for simple things and nobody in the world can do just that for me. Why must everyone be so difficult?"

"Oh, shut up, Snoozles," said Toph lazily as she brought up the momentarily forgotten bread in her hand to her mouth. "Just eat and you'll be happier."

Without any further words, Toph took a large bite out of her bread and chewed it slowly as if savoring the taste. Sokka sat there watching her for a moment before he took a roll of bread for himself and took a bite out of it. The bread was kind of stale but neither cared for their overwhelming hunger was greater than their desire to eat something a bit less stale.

Together, the two munched under the bright sun just enjoying each other's silent companionship and basking in the fun of their previous playful banter. And slowly but surely, as he watched her quietly eat, Sokka was beginning to feel, unbeknownst to him, a sort of quiet affection for the small girl in front of him.

o . O . o . o . O . o . o . O . o

"What's your favorite fruit?"

"Strawberries."

Two hours after their light meal, Sokka and Toph were seen trudging through the sandy desert once more with their fingers intertwined within each others. They were continuing their trek towards civilization rather than remain in this barren land. T pass the time, the two were engaged in a series of questions and answers targeted at each other. Surprisingly, there seemed to be no negative attitudes nor fights over trivial matters. Rather, they appeared to be in a jovial mood given the situation they were in.

"Wow!" exclaimed Sokka. "I never thought you'd like strawberries."

"Why do you say that?" asked Toph.

"I don't know. You kind of struck me as a guava person."

"Guava?" repeated Toph while wrinkling her nose in distaste.

"Yeah, guava 'cause it's rough and hard."

Toph raised an eyebrow. "Are you saying that I'm rough and hard?"

"Er, no," said Sokka in a slightly nervous voice. "It's just that, well, you, uh, I don't know how to say this, but your, um, kinda tough y'know, and, uh, you're like the friut guava, all hard 'n stuff."

Toph rolled her eyes. "I'm not even going to bother to decipher what you're trying to say, so I'll just move on and ask you my question."

"Heh, sure."

"Alright, let's see," said Toph as she walked quietly deep in thought. After about a second or so, she snapped her free fingers in the air and said, "Got it!"

"What is it?" asked Sokka.

"Why do you like meat so much?"

Sokka gaped at Toph. "Oh, come on! Even you can answer that! I mean, who doesn't like meat? It's like the greatest thing ever! It's so juicy and delicious and the freshness of it makes it even better."

Toph rolled her eyes. "You can never abstain from meat, can you?"

"Not even in my next life," said Sokka with great confidence.

"I wonder then how you're surviving this whole ordeal without any meat." said Toph.

Sokka grinned at Toph and said, "You wanna know my secret?"

"Naturally" replied Toph.

"Well, child," said Sokka, imitating an enlightened guru. "You see, it goes like this. Right now I don't have any meat with me. So I'm naturally going to miss my meat. That way I'll appreciate meat even more and -"

"Wait a minute!" Toph interrupted suddenly. She stopped walking and her whole demeanor became alert. "I just heard something."

Sokka stood still silently for a moment and tried to hear what Toph was hearing. "I don't hear anything," he said, looking confused.

"Just be quiet a moment," said Toph, her expression looking like she was concentrating on something. Suddenly, she pointed behind her and said, "It's coming from there."

As Sokka strained his ears, he suddenly began to hear faint noises. Looking into the horizon, he noticed small, dark shadows. "I see something," he said.

"What is it?" asked Toph.

"I don't know," said Sokka as he squinted at the shadows that appeared to be getting larger quite rapidly. "But whatever it is, it's coming towards us."

"What do we do?" asked Toph.

"Why don't we wait and see what it is?" suggested Sokka.

"Are you crazy?" cried Toph. "What if it's something dangerous? It could be the Fire Nation hunting us down."

"Well, walking away from it isn't going to help," said Sokka. "We're in the middle of the nowhere and whatever that thing is, it's coming real fast, so it's obviously going to spot is easily and overtake us anyway."

"Y'know, I hate it when you say something that is so logical and dangerous at the same time," complained Toph.

"Yeah, well, now's not the time to be singing my praises," said Sokka sardonically. "Now's the time to prepare another epic battle."

"Great," said Toph sarcastically. "I can't wait."

Sokka didn't say anything in response. Rather, he pulled out his machete and pulled Toph to his side protectively. Sokka watched with narrowed eyes as the shadows came closer and closer. After about a moment or so, Sokka was able to get a full view of the shadows that were coming towards him and Toph. And when he did, he lowered his machete in surprise and loosened his protective and tight hold over Toph's hand.

Toph, feeling his loosening hold, said, "What's the matter?"

"We're saved is what's the matter," replied Sokka with jubilation creeping in his voice.

Confusion crossed Toph's face. "What are you talking about?"

"Those things we're hearing and seeing is a procession of merchants gliding their desert ship thingies," explained Sokka. "That means that we can hitch a ride out of this desert."

"Really?" asked Toph.

"Yes, really," said Sokka.

"Well, what are we waiting for?" asked Toph impatiently. "Let's go."

Sokka, however, put a restraining hand on Toph's shoulder and said, "Calm down. They're heading right towards us."

Sokka and Toph waited as one of the merchant ships glided towards them. Several yards behind it was another merchant ship being glided across the sandy desert. As the first one was close enough to them, Sokka rose his arm and waved his hand in the air.

Then he cupped his hands around his mouth and shouted, "Excuse me!"

One of the merchants on the ship looked at him in response. Sokka took this as a cue to continue. With his hands still cupped around his mouth, he shouted, "Hi! Could you please give me and my friend here a ride out of the desert?"

Sokka watched as the merchant just turned his face away and continued to glide away, ignoring Sokka completely. Sokka, infuriated at this rude display, shouted, "Hey, big-shot! I'm talking to you here!"

The merchant didn't even bother to spare a second glance at Sokka again; he just moved on, leaving a steaming Sokka hopping on his dusty trail and shaking his fists in the air, yelling, "Get back here!"

The ship just continued gliding. Sokka huffed and walked back to Toph who was standing looking restless. "Well?" she asked.

"That dumb merchant didn't even stop his ship!" cried Sokka indignantly while he crossed his arms over his chest.

"So what are we going to do now?" asked Toph worriedly.

"We're gonna try to hitch a ride on the next one," said Sokka as he watched the next approaching vehicle with narrowed eyes.

When the second sand ship was close enough, Sokka waved his hand again. This time, the ship stopped and a tall, lanky merchant peered at Sokka and Toph beneath his wide straw hat.

Sokka immediately moved forward, and said, "Hi there! Do you mind giving us a lift out of this desert? My friend and I are lost here."

The tall merchant looked at Sokka apologetically and said, "I'm sorry, but I can't. I have a large load of goods on my ship that need to be taken and there's no room for you and your friend. I wish I could help you but I just can't dump this stuff here. I'm really sorry about that."

Sokka, not to be deterred, cried, "But you can't just leave us here! We've been wandering for days and hours! We don't have any food or water! Can't you just make a small room for us? I promise we won't take up much space."

The merchant, however, said, "Look, I'm really sorry about your predicament, but my own hands are full. I can't help you."

And without another word, the merchant turned away and began to glide his ship past the two adolescents.

Sokka, getting extremely irritated and losing hope of escaping the desert, moaned, "Oh, come on! It's just two more people on the goddamn ship!"

Toph, feeling slightly weary, despondantly said, "Great. Now we're gonna be stuck here forever."

Sokka, in response, fell to the ground with a thud and cupped his face in his hands in despair. Nearby, he heard a third merchant ship several meters away gliding towards them. Hope vanished completely from his heart, Sokka didn't even bother to stand up and attempt to hitch a ride again.

Meanwhile, Toph just stood there, becoming increasingly worried. Usually Sokka would come up with a brilliant plan to somehow escape whatever situation they were in and they would escape. This time, however, he wasn't even saying anything.

"Snoozles?" asked Toph.

No response.

"Hey, Sokka! Where are you?"

A voice to her right and below her said, "Down here."

Toph carefully shifted around until she was also sitting down and next to Sokka. "You alright, Sokka?" she asked gently.

"What do you think?" snarled Sokka viciously and unexpectedly.

Toph jerked her head back in surprise. She was shocked, to say the least, but she also understood Sokka's current situation. Gently, she put a small hand on his shoulder and said, "Look, Sokka, it's alright. We'll get out of here. Don't worry. I'm sure you'll come up with an idea."

Sokka sighed despairingly. "But I don't have an idea and we're running out of time and chance," he said as he heard the third ship nearing closer yet still far away.

"Well, if you stop being a pessimistic, I'm sure you can think of something."

"Oh, yeah?" said Sokka sarcastically. "Like what?"

"I don't know," said Toph, ignoring Sokka's tone of voice. "You're the idea guy. You're the one who always gets hit with inspiration. I mean, how do you always come up with the good ideas?"

Sokka looked up at Toph and cracked a small smile. "That's only because my father taught me how to get ideas. He always taught me that I have to look around at what I have. Then, using my resources, I can do anything. But that's the problem. There's nothing but you, me, and the sand here. What good is that?"

"I don't know, but that's where your brain comes in the picture," said Toph. "I'm just an earthbending blind chick so don't ask me."

Sokka just rolled his eyes at her. As he did, though, he was suddenly struck with inspiration. "Hey! I just got an idea!"

Toph grinned. "See? What'd I tell you? I knew you could do it."

Sokka grinned back at her, though his grin was mischievous. "I wonder if you're still going to believe that once I tell you my idea."

"Why?" asked Toph suspiciously.

"You'll see," said Sokka, amusement lacing his voice. Still grinning idiotically, he stooped down until his mouth was near Toph's ear, and began whispering his plan to her.

As he told her of his idea, Toph's eyes widened and she screeched, "I what?!"

Sokka cupped a hand over her mouth and said, "Shh! Calm down. We're only pretending so don't worry."

"But, I -"

"No buts," interrupted Sokka. "We're gonna do this and that's final."

Toph sighed resignedly and said, "Alright."

"That's the spirit!" exclaimed Sokka excitedly.

And without any further words, the two adolescents quickly began to get to work and prepare their escape our of the sandy desert.

o . O . o . o . O . o . o . O . o

About five minutes later, the two comapnions were standing together side by side, awaiting the last ship that was much closer than it had been five minutes ago. Sokka watched it approach and made a quick check to make sure their plan was secure.

"Are you ready?" asked Sokka.

"Ready as I'll ever be," replied Toph.

"Good." said Sokka. "There's just one last thing that we need to do."

"Which is?" asked Toph.

"This," said Sokka as he looped his arm around her waist and pulled her close to him until they were completely touching each other.

Toph almost toppled to the ground at the close proximity of their bodies. Her heart raced wildly as the familiar boyish scent of her companion wafted through her nose, numbing her senses and causing her cheeks to melt into a rosy color as she turned crimson. Silently, she cursed her companion for having such strong effects on her. Nevertheless, she willed herself to remain focused on the task at hand.

Meanwhile, Sokka was oblivious to the flustered Toph. Instead, he was concentrated on the plan that he had formulated. After a moment of just standing with his arm around Toph's waist, the merchant ship was finally a mere feet away. Quickly, Sokka rose his free arm and waved his hand in the air. As he did, the merchant ship halted in front of him.

Slowly, Sokka, with his arm still around Toph's waist, walked over to the merchant on the ship and in a pleading voice, said, "Excuse me, sir. Could you please help us? My wife and I need a lift out of this desert. We have been wandering for quite some days here and we are hopelessly lost."

The merchant, who was a chubby older man, looked down at Sokka pityingly. "I'm sorry, mister, but I can't do that. I have goods on this ship that need to be transported and there's no room for you or your wife."

Already anticipating this remark, Sokka replied in a strong and compassionate voice. "Good sir, we have been denied entrance upon your ships already twice by your other merchants. Here, my wife and I, as I've already told you, have been wandering days upon days within this desert, without food or water. How we have survived, I do not know. But I do know two things. I know that my wife is pregnant" - here Sokka pointed to Toph's portruding abdomen - "and that I will not tolerate that both my wife and my child should die in this barren land just because you men have not allowed us to be taken by all of you to a much reasonable area. I understand that you need to ship your goods very quickly so you can make the profit needed to feed your own wife and children and that I am holding you up from your job. But you must understand me also, sir. I don't care if you can't take me on this ship and out of this desert. But you must at least take my wife and child. They are all that I have to love. And I would never bear to live if my wife doesn't live. Please, sir. I beg of you to take me wife out of here. Just please don't leave her stranded out here like this. Just please don't."

Sokka looked down and wiped his eyes. As he did, he pulled Toph closer until they were in a tight embrace. The merchant, who had listened throughout Sokka's entire eloquent speech with a compassionate heart, was moved to tears. And in a gruff voice, he said, "Hey, it's alright. Don't worry. I will take both you and your wife out of this desert, mister. If we just move some stuff around, we'll make enough space for both of you."

Sokka looked up at the merchant earnestly and said in an emotion-filled voice, "God bless you, sir. I cannot even begin to say how grateful I am to you. How can I ever repay you?"

The merchant flushed at the compliment and said, "Well, for starters, you can help me shift the stuff around so we can get you and your wife on it."

"Alright," said a beaming Sokka and he quickly got to work.

o . O . o . o . O . o . o . O . o

Fifteen minutes later, Sokka and Toph were sitting comfortably on the ship with several packed goods surrounding them. In front of them was the merchant who was swerving the ship forward effortlessly on its course. Everyone was silent on the ship until the merchant decided to strike up a conversation.

"What's your name, son?" he asked

"Sokka, sir," replied Sokka.

"I see. And your wife's name?"

"Toph."

"That is a very beautiful name your wife has got there."

"Yes, I know. I have been told that by a number of people."

"It's no surprise," said the merchant. "But doesn't she speak? I haven't heard a sound from her once."

Sokka chuckled slightly. "Oh, she is quite the talker. It's just that she can be very shy at times. Right, honey?"

"Yes, dear," replied Toph, while blushing furiously at Sokka's as well as her own choice of words.

The merchant smiled at the couple and said, "Aw, she is a very sweet child. And very obediant. You have a wonderful wife, Sokka."

Sokka almost had the urge to roll his eyes and respond sarcastically but he restrained himself and smiled sweetly. "Yes, I do. But hearing it from you made it sound even truer."

"Why, thank you," said the flattered merchant. "But I have one question that has been nagging me for some time since I've seen you and your wife."

"What is it, sir?" asked Sokka in a concerned voice.

"Well, I was just thinking, mind you," said the merchant. "And I thought, aren't you and your wife too young to be married and have a kid? Pardon my asking this, but you two seem awfully young to be in such a serious relationship and in love at the same time."

"Oh, it's alright," said Sokka in a dismissal manner. "It's actually a short story. You see, my wife's parents and my parents were extremely close friends and lived in the same town. Therefore, we were betrothed since birth because our parents had promised each other that they would be in laws of each other's child. So Toph and I know each other since birth and have been inseperable ever since. Eventually we fell in love. But we married early because Toph's parents had to leave to their birth town because Toph's grandmother was extremely sick. It was a long journey and they didn't know if they would ever come back. Therefore, we got married before they left. Besides, we're really not that young; we just look like we are. I'm actually only eighteen years old and Toph is just sixteen. We kind of inherited our parents' natural young looks."

"Well, I'll be," said the astonished merchant. "you and your wife look like fifteen and twelve year olds. It's amazing how you young folks keep your figures up. And that was a beautiful life story you two have there. I'm sure your child will continuously ask about it in the near future."

"Well," said Sokka. "I hope so. It would be very boring to not have a story to tell my young 'un about my wife and I."

"Yes, indeed," said the merchant. "Yes, indeed."

And all three lapsed into silence once more, with the merchant wishing for a similar love story and the young 'couple' hiding their sly grins behind their hands.

o . O . o . o . O . o . o . O . o

Several hours later, the sun had set and the moon risen. Stars twinkled throughout the night sky. Down below were three figures fast asleep on a sand ship. Or at least one of them was. The merchant lay snoring thickly on the ship with a thick blanket covering his body. North of him were Toph and Sokka huddled beneath Sokka's winter coat, both wide awake and just looking up at the night sky. That is, until Toph decided to break the silence.

"Y'know, I have never heard of such a gullible man in my life," she whispered to her companion.

Sokka chuckled. "Yeah. Can you believe every lie I fed to him? I just wanted to laugh so hard but I couldn't."

Toph smiled and said, "Yeah, me too. It was funny how he believed that you and I were betrothed since birth or that were were three years older than we actually were."

"Or when I told him that we were stranded on the desert for many days," reminsiced Sokka.

"Yeah, but the funniest part was when he believed that I was pregnant," said Toph.

"Oh, yeah," said Sokka while laughing softly. "That was the funniest ever. I just can't get over the fact that he believed the 'stuff a bundle of rags in your dress and pretend you're pregnant' gag. That was just amazing."

Toph giggled. "Yeah, and I wanted to scratch my stomach so badly but I couldn't because then the rags would move and the merchant would get suspicious."

Both Sokka and Toph immediately burst into restrained laughter. They continued giggling together until both of them finally calmed themselves down. And when they did, Sokka turned his head to the side to say something funny to Toph again, but stopped short at the sight in front of him.

There, right beside him lay Toph directly beneath the moonlight. Her sand-filled hair was loose from its usual hairstyle and was spilled in all directions beneath her. A small contented smile graced her face and a small blush adorned her cheeks. Dark lashes fluttered with every blink of her eye and her entire face shined beneath the moonlight, causing such a beautiful effect that seemed to captivate Sokka. One loose strand, however, kept fluttering in front of Toph's face that made Toph continuously and absently bring up a hand to remove it from her face. As it fluttered for the umpteenth time, and before Toph could remove it, Sokka brought his arm up and tucked the strand behind Toph's ear, eliciting a surprised reaction from Toph. Her eyes turned towards his side and appeared questioning.

In answer to her unspoken question, Sokka softly said, "It kept fluttering in front of your face. I thought I'd help you with it."

"Oh," said Toph quietly. "Thanks."

"No problem."

Both companions lapsed into silence once again, delving into their own private thoughts. There seemed to be an aura of happiness between the two companions, causing a pleasant atmosphere. Around them, the cold air sweeped by, causing them to shiver and huddle closer for warmth. Then, slowly but surely, the night air and the drowsiness from the day's events lulled the companions to sleep.

However, before she gave in to her slumber, and thinking that her companion was fast asleep, Toph whispered, "By the way, I'm glad you rescued me yesterday."

As she finally closed her eyes, Toph didn't notice the small smile that creeped on Sokka's face in response.

o . O . o . o . O . o . o . O . o

_**TO BE CONTINUED...**_


	6. Chapter 6: Falling In Love Again

"**Heartbeat" By Dimitrius**

**Chapter Six: Falling In Love Again**

**Dedication: To Nerf-or-Nothing, who has patiently awaited for this chapter and supported me immensely in times of need. You have been a true friend whom I can't thank enough. **

o . o . O . o . o . O . o . o

"To great health, love, and life . . . Cheers!"

_Clink._

Sokka slowly withdrew his occupied hand and drowned the contents of his glass in his mouth. Directly in front of him, the older merchant mimicked his actions. After about a second or so, Sokka began to cough. The liquid he had just drunk was worming its way through his trachea, causing a burning sensation that simultaneously resulted in him hacking quite violently. The merchant just let out a chuckle and reached out to pat him on the arm gently.

"Hey, it's alright," he said while sporting an amused grin. "That always happens to the first-timers. Besides, it will go away in a moment or so."

Sokka just coughed in response. After a few seconds, his violent hacking resided and he lifted his face towards the merchant and said with a grin, "Told you I was strong. A little cough couldn't hurt me."

The merchant flashed a know-it-all grin back at him and said, "You won't be saying that tomorrow morning when you will be hurling your guts out and moaning over a massive headache."

Sokka just raised his empty glass and in a confident voice said, "Oh, don't worry. Nothing can affect me. I'm Sokka, the strongest man in my hometown."

_Snort_.

Sokka turned to the source of the current sound of indignation. To his right sat his blind companion cushioned comfortably against his winter coat. She wore a look of annoyance and disdain and her entire demeanor screamed extreme boredom. Sokka couldn't help but release a small throaty chuckle at the sight of her.

"What's the matter, darling?" he asked whilst sporting an annoying smirk on his face.

Immediately, Toph's bored expression contorted into one of slight anger. Sokka knew why. Both the merchant and he had decided to hold a grand feast this very night because they were only several hundred miles away from a small town that they were going to be dropped off at after several days of traveling. However, the merchant hadn't been content with merely a feast. Rather, he also wanted to celebrate Toph's unborn child because he couldn't bear to miss the celebration that Sokka had promised was going to happen once the so-called child was born. Although Toph and Sokka had secretly rolled their eyes then, they couldn't do anything but comply with the gullible merchant who later revealed the nature of the celebration. While Sokka had been jubilant to hear about it, Toph was unhappy because she wasn't allowed to partake in such a celebration, with her being "pregnant" and whatnot.

In short, there was liquor involved and Toph was sore because she could not get even a tiny sip of it.

"Nothing, _honey_," emphasized Toph with a fake saccharine smile on her face. Sokka's smirk grew wider as he watched her fists clench at her sides. "I was just feeling a bit tired and then suddenly the baby kicked me. Obviously I was going to make a sound."

Sokka's eyes widened in surprise while the merchant in front of him cooed gleefully. "Aww," said the merchant. "You're such a lucky man, Sokka. That's a sure sign of a strong, healthy baby."

"Why yes, yes it is," chuckled Sokka nervously and sweat-dropped. He hadn't expected Toph to say such an embarrassing thing and decided to one up her. Immediately, the bulb went up in his head. "In fact," he said slowly. "This is even a better cause for a celebration, isn't it Toph?"

Sokka grinned at the now scowling Toph as she realized that Sokka was going to gain access to more liquor and rub it in her face. It was all she could do to not punch him in the face for exploiting her desire.

"Yes, yes it is," said Toph as she gritted her teeth through her fake smile. But she knew she was fighting a hopeless battle so she merely contented herself to plotting ways to kill Sokka in his sleep. Sokka, however, was having fun taunting his "wife." After all, it was not everyday that he got to tease her without the fear of being wedged in hard rocks settling in his heart.

Turning to the merchant, he said, "Well, my friend, let the celebration continue!"

The happy merchant, who had been completely oblivious to the quiet yet blatant battle brewing in the heart of young Toph, pulled out a large bottle of liquor from his stash of merchandise. Unscrewing the cap, he poured the dark liquid into two large goblet-like glasses. The merchant then handed a glass to Sokka who immediately drowned it and belched loudly. Toph wrinkled her nose in response but couldn't help feel a little wishful that she too could partake in such activity. After all, she wasn't much for proper girly stuff like the Sugar Queen. However, she had to hold her facade for her and Sokka's sake. Which was why she was just tapping her fingers incessantly on the side of the merchant ship trying to restrain herself from snatching the drink out of the merchant's hand.

Sokka, in the meantime, was drowning the bitter liquid as if he could not get enough of it. The same went for the merchant who was quickly becoming tipsy and talkative . . . more so than the usual.

"Y'know," said the merchant. "You two are the most amazing couple I have _ever_ met!"

"Really?" smirked Sokka.

"Yeeaah," burped the merchant. Toph rolled her eyes. "I wish I was married like you, Sokka. Then I wouldn't be roaming these deserts as a loner. In fact, my wife would be with me on this ship and we'd be a wonderful couple like you two. And we would raise our babies right here too."

Sokka laughed. "Babies? On a ship? No, my friend. Babies should be raised in a meat house or something. So they can get all the meat they want and be strong to fight. Like me. See my biceps? Well, these beauts didn't just happen overnight. I had a lot of meat to grow 'em."

While Sokka had been flexing and flaunting his biceps, the merchant stared at them with complete admiration. "Wow, Sokka! Do you think you can help me grow mine too?"

Sokka grinned and said, "Suuure! But you gotta have a lot of meat! No meat, no muscles. But let's just drink now. We can build muscles later."

"Already on it, brother!" said the merchant. He lifted another glassful of liquor and gulped it down. "Whew! This stuff is strong!"

"Yeah," said Sokka who also mimicked the merchant's actions. "But like I said, I can handle anything. Nothing's ever too strong for me."

"Really?" said the gullible merchant.

Sokka grinned proudly. "Yep. I can probably take on any kind of liquor you can dish out."

The merchant grinned back. "Well then, I got just the thing for you." Reaching his hand through several boxes of merchandise surrounding him, he pulled out another bottle of liquor. Unscrewing the cap and pouring it into Sokka's glass, he said, "Try this on for size!"

"What is this?" asked Sokka as he picked up the glass and peered at the contents.

"It's the strongest liquor you will find anywhere," explained the merchant.

Sokka quirked an eyebrow. "Really?"

"Uh huh," said the merchant. "If you can drink this and stomach it, then I'll claim you to definitely be the strongest guy on earth."

Sokka grinned whereas Toph rolled her eyes. However, her interest was also piqued and she wanted to see where this was heading.

Obviously, Sokka had the same idea for he said, "Alrighty then. But let's make this a little more interesting. We both drink this bottle of liquor. But whoever could drink it the most and for the longest time, gets a prize and the title of the strongest man."

The merchant who had been slouching previously was now in an upright position with his entire face alert. Licking his lips in anticipation of a challenge, he said, "Alright. But what's the prize?"

Sokka smirked. "If I win, I get some of your valuable merchandise of my choice."

The merchant gulped but he wasn't about to back down quickly. "And if I win?" he asked.

"Then you can be the godfather of my child," said a grinning Sokka.

Instantly, Sokka was met with two shocked faces, both of whom's mouth's were gaping open widely. The merchant, instead of being furious of such an unfair bet, was actually deeply touched and totally speechless. Toph on the other hand, was shocked at the way Sokka was effortlessly goading and conning the merchant into this fixed bet. A small grin crossed her features as she tried to suppress a knowing smirk and instantly, she fell into the role Sokka had silently and suddenly scripted for her.

"Oh my," she sighed daintily. "How wonderful it would be if you were to be the godfather of this child I bear."

Sokka, who had been watching the merchant carefully, grinned inwardly at Toph's dramatic acting. He could not believe she was following him with this but he had long ago realized that this was a girl who was completely unlike his sister. She was not one to follow the rules of society; rather, she made them up herself. And the fact that she had a small con artist inside of her like him, just made him even fonder of her. They were truly a pair in the peapod as his sister had once said. Sokka, however, preferred to think they were amazing partners in petty crimes. Like now, for example.

Toph was continuing with her flattering of the merchant so that the unsuspecting merchant would be completely goaded into accepting the bet that Sokka knew was a win-win situation for him. After all, what had he to lose? The title of a grandfather to his and Toph's nonexistent baby? Sokka almost laughed at the thought. This was definitely going to be fun.

Finally, after several moments, the merchant complied to the bet. Pulling out a small antique chest cabinet, he set it between Sokka and himself, thus turning it into a makeshift table. Then, he set the large bottle of liquor on the cabinet and filled two glasses of the dark liquor to the brim. Toph sat cross-legged on the ship next to Sokka and leaned slightly against his shoulder, preparing herself for the battle between the merchant and her companion. Sokka also sat cross-legged but his posture revealed his alertness and anticipation of the challenge.

After the merchant had poured two glasses of the drink, he raised them and gave one to Sokka. "May the strongest man win," he declared with a challenging smile.

"Hear, hear," cried Sokka.

The two toasted to each other and then in a large gulp, drowned the contents of their glass in their mouths. As Sokka took in the bitter taste, he almost choked from the strong burning sensation that filled his throat. The merchant hadn't been lying; this stuff was really strong! However, Sokka was not easily discouraged. Hiding a pained expression, he reluctantly clanged his glass on the makeshift table and poured more liquor. The merchant on the other hand drank it as if it was water; he appeared unaffected by the overwhelming taste.

"Ready to give up?" asked the smiling merchant.

"Never," said a defiant Sokka.

"We'll see about that," were the merchant's last words before he poured another glassful of liquor and dunked it in his mouth.

o . o . O . o . o . O . o . o

An hour and fifty drinks later, Sokka had had enough. Still sitting cross-legged but hunched over the makeshift table in front of him, his bloodshot eyes zoned in and out on the empty glass clutched in his hand. In front of him, the merchant was sprawled on his back, staring up at the night sky in his own drunken haze. Both man and adolescent just sat quietly, delving in their own incoherent and hazy thoughts while several bottles of liquor littered around them. The night remained silent and the only sounds were a few breezes floating nearby.

Finally, after a moment, the merchant spoke. "Yyy'knnow" slurred the merchant thickly. "I can't take it anymore!"

"What?" hiccupped an equally drunk Sokka.

"I'm so alone," said the merchant. "I . . . _hiccup_ . . . need a wife."

Sokka wrinkled his nose as he drunkenly raised his head. "Why?"

"Because you have one."

"I...do?" asked a bemused Sokka. His brows crinkled as if in deep thought. "When did I ever get...OW!"

Sokka rubbed his right arm gingerly and turned to glare at the source of his bruised arm. Sitting next to him was a similarly glaring Toph with a small fist raised in the air. "What are you doing, you idiot?!" she hissed lowly so only he could hear her.

Sokka narrowed his eyes. "Why are you hitting me?!" he hissed back painfully.

Toph opened her mouth to say something but was cut off by the merchant who had risen from his position and was now sitting staring at the "couple" in confusion. "Sokka?" he asked in an unsteady, broken voice. "What happened?"

Sokka, still a bit angry at Toph, was about to tell Toph off to the merchant. However, before he could even open his mouth, he suddenly felt Toph securely latch onto his right arm and say in a soft, high, dainty voice, "Oh it's nothing, sir. Sokka _darling_ had accidentally knocked his hand against the ship and just hurt himself a little. Everything's just fine."

Sokka rose a single eyebrow at Toph who for some reason was "staring" at him deplorably as if sending him a message of some sort. However, he didn't understand what was going on. Why on earth was Toph lying to the merchant? Sokka's hazy mind could not remember the facade he had created for Toph and himself, therefore his tongue was inadvertently unraveling the truth and his white lies. And Toph may have realized this for, to Sokka's great surprise, she raised a hand unsteadily towards his face and shifted it around until it found its destination; she cupped his cheek in an almost loving gesture.

"Are you alright, my dear _husband_?" she asked with wide eyes staring imploringly up at him while her tone placed a severe emphasis on the word 'husband.'

"Husband?" said Sokka in a slight high-pitched voice and narrowed eyes. "What are you talking about?! I'm not your husband!"

Toph winced slightly and her face became exasperated. The merchant, however, let loose a loud gasp. "W-what's goin' on?" he asked, his face contorted in disbelief and his eyes wandering between Sokka to Toph.

Sokka watched as Toph let loose a sigh and inconspicuously roll her eyes heavenward. Then something barely audible escaped her lips and for a moment, he could have sworn he had heard her whisper, "Idiots!" However, he didn't even have time to think about it; Toph's expression had changed to a hurtful one and her large eyes were gazing up at him. Sokka watched in utter amazement as her pale cheeks became stained in red and her small pink lips were jutted out in a pout. For some reason, that expression made Sokka's insides burn and his mouth suddenly became dry.

"Not my...husband?!" whimpered Toph as her weak-like voice suddenly became anguished. Sokka suddenly felt uncomfortable as he watched the scene unfold in front of him. "How could you?!" she cried. "After all that we've gone through, how can you say that you are not my husband?!"

Immediately, Toph lowered her face and covered them with her small hands. Sokka stared in morbid fascination as her shoulders shook and small sniffling sounds reached his ears. The merchant, in the meantime, was looking at Sokka with a disapproving look on his face which Sokka caught when he looked towards him.

"What?!" blubbered a bemused Sokka. He sincerely did not know what Toph was talking about and this sudden drama was confusing the hell out of him.

The merchant, however did not share the same sentiments. "How could you?!" he asked sadly. "How could you do this to your own wife?!"

"But she's not my wife!" shrieked Sokka indignantly.

Instantly, a loud wail rang out through the night sky and Sokka turned back to his "upset" companion who was still sniffling in her hands. For some reason, Sokka's heart wrenched a bit at the sight and he could not help but reach out and place a gentle and unsteady hand on her shaking shoulders.

"Toph?" he whispered, his voice slurring slightly. "What's wrong?"

At his touch, Toph had stopped shaking. Now she was "gazing" up at him with tears streaming down her face. Sokka drew back in surprise and with good reason: he had never once seen Toph cry and this was too much for his drunken mind.

Feeling uncomfortable with the streaks of tears on her face (after all, what guy knows what to do with an unexpectedly weeping female?), Sokka reached over and gently wiped Toph's face with his hands in an effort to eradicate the existence of such an uncharacteristic act. Toph looked surprised but a small smile tugged the corners of her mouth which confused Sokka even further. She was crying and now she was smiling?! What was wrong with her?!

Before Sokka could voice anything, however, Toph spoke up in a small voice. "Don't you remember, Sokka?" Sokka just stared strangely at her. "We were married a few months ago in mother's garden. It was just a small ceremony because we had to leave quickly too. You" – here her lower lip quivered – "you said you were so happy to be married to me. And now you don't even remember our sacred marriage?!"

Sokka looked bewildered. No, he didn't remember any marriage of any kind. But his hazy mind vaguely remembered a garden with a proud-looking Toph standing in the midst of it. Maybe he did get married. After all, Toph _was_ wearing some elegant looking garbs.

_Hmm_, thought Sokka drunkenly, _I guess I did marry Toph. Oh crap! Me married to Toph?! I must have been forced or something. There is no way I_–

"Honey?" Sokka, who had been staring off into spacing and freaking out mentally, was suddenly brought back to the present moment where Toph was still staring at him with those damn pouting lips that made his heart beat faster for unapparent reasons.

"Yeah?" he whispered, his voice cracking in between.

Toph raised a hand and gently placed it on his cheek, caressing it slightly. "Don't you love me?" she whispered adorably. That was when it happened. Sokka could not understand when or how it happened, but all of a sudden, somewhere inside him, something exploded. An unexpected burning sensation rose from his waist and flared in his insides while his heart began to race erratically. Blood rushed to his ears, blocking all sounds and only leaving the most amazing sight his eyes could feast on in front of him.

Toph's wide glassy eyes, mysteriously devoid of an tears, was gazing penetratingly at him, sending shivers down his spine. Her mouth was also still set into that unique pout of hers that made Sokka want to suddenly run his fingers over; they looked invitingly soft despite their chapped appearance. And her long ebony hair, all greasy and dirty, were spilled over her shoulders, framing her face while her extended bangs were pushed back and clipped awkwardly on her scalp. Yet, despite this dirty and disheveled state, Toph still looked very ethereal. The moon was shining above her, casting a pearly glow on her delicate features and making her opaque eyes shimmer majestically.

Sokka's breath hitched in his throat. He could not understand what was happening to him. Why did he have the sudden urge to run his hand through those tangled knots of hair that rested on those delicate sloping shoulders? Why were those small pink lips inviting his own darker ones to capture and ravage them? Why was his heart racing so wildly and earnestly as if wanting to escape from its prison and float to this girl who mesmerized him so much? Sokka was confused. He was utterly helpless to these sudden feelings that circulated in his blood and flowed in every region of his being.

So he did the only thing he could do in his current drunken and confused state. Giving in towards desire, Sokka extended an arm and placed a hand gently on the base of Toph's slender neck, thus lifting her face towards his until their noses were a mere centimeter apart. Staring into her questioning glassy eyes, he whispered, "I do love you."

Then it all happened so fast. Sokka's mind didn't even register the way Toph's eyes widened in shock or the way her hand fell limply from his face. All he knew was that her lips were crushed against his in a deep, hungry, raw, animalistic kiss and that he was in heaven. Never had he tasted anything like this; it was a mixture of something sweet and something bitter with a tinge of spice. It was incredibly amazing and Sokka was having a difficult time pulling away from those captured lips. Even his roaming hands agreed; they were weaving in and out of Toph's hair and massaging her scalp without letting go while his blood rushed at alarming rates in his body. Sokka was so deeply involved in the kiss that he wasn't even aware of a sudden loud thump that emanated from the other side of the ship; the merchant, who was completely consumed by his drunkenness, had fainted from the overwhelming and dizzying effects of the alcohol. All he could do now was snore loudly in deep slumber till the next day.

In the meantime, however, an oblivious Sokka continued to ravage those small chapped lips that had enthralled him so much. He couldn't stop himself at all. It wasn't until the lack of oxygen and the dizziness from the alcohol consumed him and his mind had turned utterly blank did Sokka pull away.

The last thing he saw before darkness pervaded his sight and he fell forward was a completely shocked and dazed Toph touching her slightly bruised lips with small, lithe fingers in disbelief.

o . o . O . o . o . O . o . o

Toph was shocked.

Toph was in disbelief.

Toph was excited.

But above all, Toph was falling in love again.

"Why do you do this to me?" she whispered to the silent night sky. Toph was sitting on the merchant ship with her arms wrapped securely around her bunched up legs against her chest. Her chin rested on her knees and her eyes were closed. Above her, the luminous moon shined on her small figure while soft cool breezes swept through her long hair.

"Why do you continue to play with my feelings like this?" she continued. "Do you know how much you affect me with even the slightest touch? Or when your laughter fills my ears, sounding like a cascading waterfall?" Toph opened her eyes. "And what about your heartbeat that pulses with such precision and emotion? Don't you realize how crazy it drives me? It's the only thing that separates you from everyone. It's the only thing that I search for in every waking moment of my existence ever since I met you. It's the only thing that has beat in sync with my very own."

Toph released her arms from her legs and lifted her head from her knees. She turned to her left and stretched a hand until she found another. Wrapping and intertwining her fingers in her companion's hand, she lowered herself until she was also laying down on the floor of the ship right next to Sokka.

Facing towards him, she whispered, "Ever since I've met you, I could only think of you. So many nights you have made me restless, yearning for the morning to come so I could hear your voice again and again because no matter how many jokes I may have cracked about never hearing your voice again, my heart only wanted the exact opposite. Then there were those countless times where I just wanted to be with you and spill my heart and release every emotion I've ever felt towards you. Here I am doing just that but you don't hear me. You don't even hear it when you're awake. To you, it was all pretend. Just something we needed to get out of this place. But to me, it was something in which I could truly call your name lovingly without your rejection. It was something where I could turn my fantasies into a reality even for just a moment."

Toph sighed and became silent. After a moment or two, she raised a hand and blindly reached out towards Sokka's face where it touched his forehead and slithered down until it found its destination. Running her index and middle finger over the length of his lips, Toph pulled her hand back and touched her own. She smiled. "You kissed me, y'know." she whispered to her silent companion. "I always dreamt that you would have been my first kiss. But I never thought it was going to be like this, so powerful and raw. It was amazing. _You_ are amazing. And I keep falling in love with you over and over again. But you probably won't remember any of this come tomorrow morning."

Toph squeezed Sokka's hand. "But you now what? I don't care. I don't care if you forget this night because you have given me hope that there may be something between us. You've given me hope that maybe you can love me too. And even if there won't be anything between us or you may not love me as I do, then at least we have shared a moment together. At least you saw me differently for one moment: tonight I was a girl to you, a girl worthy to look at despite my eyes. Tomorrow, I'll just be Toph, a member of the Avatar team and just your friend or another little sister. But it's okay. You've given me something I can forever hold onto, something I can always remember you by when you will leave me for another girl. And hopefully, our kiss will have been such that it will forever lurk in your mind even if you don't remember when you kiss another."

Toph closed her eyes and snuggled closer to her companion; sleep was finally starting to enter her body. "I wish we could be like this forever," she murmured quietly. "Just the two of us together in every step of the way. No wars, no Suki, no Avatar, no anything. Just you and me against the world. We would eat together, sleep together, walk together, laugh together, and share together. Everything would be just fine and dandy."

Toph yawned. "But I'm probably boring you, right? Fine. I'll go to sleep. But remember. I love you too."

The stars twinkled brightly above as Toph finally gave in to sleep. And somewhere, a moon spirit smiled as she watched over the sleeping figures.

o . o . O . o . o . O . o . o

_**TO BE CONTINUED...**_

o . o . O . o . o . O . o . o

**Author's Notes:** I'm baaaaaaaaack! Yes folks, after nearly a year of hiatus, I have decided to return to the fan-fiction world in hopes of completing this fic so please put away your pitchforks and torches. I know that many of you have been upset by my sudden disappearance and I can only say that I am sorry, especially to Nerf-or-Nothing who for the longest time have been trying to pull me back into writing. Sorry, Nerf. I owe you my deepest apologies and I hope that this chapter was enjoyable for you as it was in my heart to give you the Tokka fluff you had wanted for so long from me.

Anyways, I'll try to keep this note short because I'm pretty sure everyone wants to just read upcoming chapters, right? Well, let's see. I don't know when the next update will be because honestly there is just so much going on in my life that I simply do not have the time to write like I used to. That's also one of the reasons why I haven't updated for a really long time. That and the fact that somewhere between sorting through the crap in my life, I had lost interest and then eventually forgot about this fic. So yeah, I'm really sorry about that. But I'm back after a recent nasty writer's block and I'm hoping I can get the next chapter out in probably four to five weeks, possibly even more. So I'm not promising a quick update but it also won't take a year either to put up another chapter. However, I do request that no one requests, begs, asks, or demands for an update. I am already guilt-ridden and I don't need that hanging over me either.

Moving on, I also wanted to say that my email account had been deleted several months ago, therefore I will be disabling the private messaging feature in my account until I can create a new email address. Therefore, DO NOT contact me and if you have already contacted me previously while the feature was on, I'm sorry to say that I did not receive your pms.

Next, I wanted to disclose that the rating for this fic has been increased to a T rating because of the things I have in store for future chapters. I don't how that will affect anyone but I thought I'd just toss it out there. Then there were several things I wanted to talk about concerning this chapter. It's not my very best because I am writing after a really long time and it's sort of taking me a while to get back into my writing routine. So I tried and hopefully, upcoming chapters will be better than this. Anyways, I just wanted to point out that the reference I made to Toph standing in a garden with elegant looking garbs was from the episode, "The Blind Bandit." It was after the wrestling match when Aang, Sokka, and Katara had gone to visit Toph at her home and try to find out about her.

Also, I want to say that at this point, Sokka is subconsciously falling in love with Toph. The gears of romance have been set in motion and it's all uphill from here on. Sokka is slowly realizing the extraordinary creature named Toph and the fine line between pretend and reality has blurred. So while there was fluff here, it was all because it was a product of alcohol, imaginary role-playing, and masks to uphold. Don't expect lovey-doveyness already. These two still have a long way before they can fully be together, especially when a certain Kyoshi Warrior will be entering in soon but you guys won't even realize when. snickers Yeah, yeah, I know I'm being evil but as an author, I have the right to be suspenseful and mysterious. None of you are allowed to know what I have up my sleeve. All I can say is that you should expect the unexpected.

Moreover, there's something I want to say about Toph's monologue in the last segment of the chapter. I wanted to show that Toph is a very realistic character. She doesn't easily indulge in fantasies so quickly; rather, she recognizes hope for herself and the fact that Sokka may not love her either. Yet she wants to cling more onto the hope. As the story progresses and the relationship between the two characters escalate, that hope sort of changes into a battle. Toph, later, will no longer want to sit still. She will want Sokka to be hers only. To her, it will be every woman for herself and that characteristic of hers reflects in the show itself in vague, subtle ways. So yeah, the main point of the spiel was that Toph recognizes that the kiss may have been fake; it was just probably a heat of the moment thing. But there's also evidence to prove that it may also have been real. Like I said before, the fine line between pretend and reality has been blurred and it's not definite whether what has happened here was real or not. Moreover, I feel that this sort of serves as a transition to Sokka slowly falling in love. Subconsciously he has recognized Toph in another light (sort of signified by the moon casting overhead) and now all he needs is to recognize this same thing consciously.

So yeah, enough of my rambling. Now I just want to heartily thank all those that have read and reviewed this fic. I can't tell you how much I appreciate you guys and I hope that I won't fail you again. You guys are truly amazing when it comes to support. Thanks. Now I bid you adieu and hope to post another chapter.

Ciao.


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